Of Magic Cards and Jewel Shards
by Gemini14
Summary: AU. When a fifteen year old Sakura and her elder brother Touya are dragged through a magical well to Japan's feudal era with a certain reborn miko how will they handle what they find there? What kinds of mysteries await them? This story has been adopted by MangaGrl2665, and from now on will be updated by her!
1. Prologue

Of Magic Cards and Jewel Shards

Prologue

Clow Reed panted harshly as he ran in the direction of Kikyo's village. His heart raced when he saw the smoke rising from the center of the village: exactly where the Shikon no Tama was being stored.

"Clow-sama! Slow down! If you keep using the Dash Card, you're gonna……!" a concerned voice shouted, as its owner struggled to keep up with him.

"I can't think about that right now, Kerberos! Keeping the Shikon no Tama out of the hands of youkai is of the utmost importance!" Clow said, sharply, as the leonine owner of the voice ran alongside the sorcerer.

"Then at least let us help you. It was what you summoned us for, after all." A second voice said, calmly yet urgently. Without saying a word, Clow continued his mad dash to the village, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would be too late to stop the theft of the Sacred Jewel.

With concern in his silver/violet eyes, Yue watched as his and Kerberos' master raced the wind to get to the stricken village. He knew deep down that his master could not take so much strenuous activity; his heart was at the point of failure already. Yet it was his deep devotion to his friends that kept him going………and it would prove to be his undoing.

"Yue, we're not gonna make it! Can't Clow-sama see that?! Even if he poured all of his power into Dash, he won't make it in time! Even he'd said that!" Kerberos shouted, in dismay.

"But that won't stop him from trying. Kikyo-dono is on of the few friends he's got left. Of course he's going to try to help her. Even if it costs him his life." Yue replied, grimly, as they finally arrived in the village.

Clow could tell right away that something dramatic had happened. The shrine where the Shikon no Tama had been held was now nothing more than a pile of smoking rubble, and Clow had a gut feeling that this wasn't an accident.

"Fly." Clow murmured, as wings appeared on his back and he flew up and over the shrine keep, still searching for the miko that guarded the Sacred Jewel. In short order he found her; but not the way he'd hoped. She was surrounded by the townsfolk and guardians of the shrine, her shoulder torn open and bleeding profusely. Not too far away, a silver-haired hanyou hung lifelessly from a tree trunk, an arrow protruding from his shoulder. He'd obviously been slain by Kikyo.

"Kikyo…………." Clow whispered, as he silently descended from the air and approached the stricken miko on foot. Reacting to hearing her name, Kikyo looked up to see the sorcerer standing there, and her warm brown eyes saddened when she saw the look of anguish on his face.

"Clow Reed……….you came." Kikyo murmured, as though stunned by this fact.

"Of course. I had a vision of something dire that involved the Shikon no Tama. I just never imagined it would be this bad." Clow replied, not even noticing when Yue and Kerberos arrived behind him, nor when they both uttered gasps of shock when they saw what condition Kikyo was in.

"Clow-sama, can you save Kikyo-nee-sama?" Kaede, Kikyo's younger sister, asked, with hope in her only remaining eye. Clow shook his head.

"I can't, Kaede-san. Even as I stand here, my own body is dying. I have hastened my own demise by rushing here." Clow said, as he slowly sank to his knees, this action alone getting looks of alarm from both Yue and Kerberos.

"But why? Why did you come, if your health was so fragile?" Kikyo asked, sensing that Clow's time was as short as her own, if not shorter. Clow smiled gently at her and took her left hand, the one that wasn't holding the Shikon no Tama, and held it over his heart. Kikyo's eyes widened when she felt the fluttering, rapidly weakening pulse beneath her fingertips.

"I wanted to die in the presence of friends." Clow answered, as he looked at her, then Yue and Kerberos, and at last at the still form of the hanyou behind him. For a moment, Kikyo's eyes filled with bitter tears; then a serene look took over her features.

"Kaede, I give this to you…….the Shikon no Tama, which you must burn with my body. It must not fall into the hands of those who would abuse it." Kikyo said, with some command in her voice, before both she and Clow Reed finally breathed their last.

"Kikyo-nee-sama!!!" Kaede cried, tearfully.

"Clow-sama!!" Kerberos and Yue Shouted, before a brilliant light surrounded them both.

"_Sleep, my loyal friends. Guard Inu-Yasha's slumber side by side, as you have guarded me. Guard him_……….._when he awakens_………._and when the next master of the Cards comes into the world._" Clow's voice whispered, as the world faded away from around the two Guardians.

"_We'll do as you command_………_Clow-sama_" Yue promised, before silence surrounded them both.

"_Thank you_………" Clow's voice said, before it also echoed into nothingness.


	2. Chapter One

Chapter One: Full Circle

"And you said you wanted to get what again?" an eighteen year old boy irritably asked his younger sister.

"A good luck charm. I want to get it for Tou-san so he'll have good luck at the dig tomorrow!" the fifteen year old girl replied, impatiently. Her brother sighed resignedly.

"Fine then. But are you sure we can't go after this thing after school? We're both late enough as it is." The boy muttered. The girl stubbornly shook her head.

"I want to get it for him before tomorrow morning. But the shrine will be closed by then! I must get it now, while I still can!" the girl said, as she started up the steps that led to the shrine grounds. Before she could get very far, she heard a yelp come from the smallest building and rushed over to see if she could be of any help. When she entered the building, she could see that a girl about her age and her younger brother had just been startled by their pet cat.

"What're you doin' here? The Bone-Eater's Well isn't a tourist attraction!" the other girl shouted, with some concern in her voice.

"Gomen! I heard someone cry out and decided to come up and see what was going on." The girl stated, looking a little embarrassed as she said that.

"It's all right. Sorry to have snapped at you." The other girl said, a little shamefacedly on her part.

"No problem! I can see why you'd be a little concerned." The first girl said, as she glanced around at her surroundings. The well house was old and dimly lit; the only light that was in there was what was coming in from outside. A real hazard when it came to the stairs that led down to the well itself.

"Sakura!" the boy's voice shouted, as he appeared at the door.

"Nii-chan, what……..?!" the first girl yelped, noting the almost frantic look on his face a split second before all hell broke loose. Something that almost looked like smoke burst from the well, grabbed the other girl, and started to pull her in.

"Hang on!" 'Sakura' yelped, as she dashed down the stairs towards the other girl, intent on helping her. She grabbed one of the girl's hands, but, when she tried to pull her out, her feet didn't find any purchase. She was getting pulled in as well.

"Sakura!!" the boy cried, again, before he also came down the stairs, grabbed both girls' hands and tried with all his strength to pull them free. But the 'thing's' strength was too much for the boy, and all three were pulled into the well; leaving only their book bags behind to tell that they had been there at all.

"Kagome…………." The other girl's young brother whispered, too shocked to say or do anything else. He didn't know that these events were only the beginning to the unraveling of an ancient mystery; a mystery that had been in the making since the Sengoku Era!

By the time all three teenagers were on solid ground again, an incredible sequence of events had already taken place. The 'thing' that had snatched the three of them from the well house had in fact been a monster centipede that had the head and torso of a woman. The girl that had originally been grabbed had repelled the thing by a blast of light, but not before it had said something that had baffled all three of them.

"Wretched girl……..I must have the Sacred Jewel." The 'centipede woman' had snarled before disappearing from sight and leaving the three of them sitting on the slightly damp earth at the bottom of the well.

"The 'Sacred Jewel'?" the other girl muttered, confusedly.

"What'd it mean by that, Nii-chan?" Sakura asked. He brother shrugged.

"No idea. Sounds like something I'd heard in a story once; but even I can't be sure. Are you two all right?" the boy asked.

"I'm kinda questioning my sanity right now, but I'm fine, otherwise." The other girl said, a little shakily.

"I'm okay, Nii-chan. But how do we get out of here?" Sakura asked, in turn, as she stood up and looked uncertainly at the walls surrounding them.

"I think I can get us out of here……….assuming my little brother hasn't gone to hide under his bed………." The other girl stated, getting some chuckles from Sakura's brother before turning and shouting up at the opening.

"Hey, Sota! Get Grandpa!" the girl called. She got no response.

"Must be saying hello to some dust bunnies right about now." The boy muttered, with a smirk. The girl sighed in irritation.

"Must be." the girl mumbled, before the boy started testing the vines near them.

"These seem to be strong enough to hold our weight. I'll climb to the top and give you a hand up. Then we'll see if we can get to our respective schools before first period is over." The boy said, before he started climbing.

"Right. By the way, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name's Higurashi Kagome." The girl said, a little embarrassed that she hadn't done this sooner.

"I'm Kinomoto Sakura and that obnoxious guy up there is my onii-chan, Kinomoto Touya. It's good to meet you, Kagome-chan!" Sakura replied, ignoring her brother's indignant 'Hey, I heard that!' as she waited her turn to climb.

"Kinomoto? Isn't that the name of that archeologist that's been studying the area around my family's shrine?" Kagome asked, as she started climbing, since Touya was now at the top. Sakura nodded.

"Hai! He's our dad." Sakura said, as they neared the top and Touya helped them out. It was when they actually stopped and took a look around that they realized that something was different.

"Uh……………Sakura-chan, Touya-sempai, I don't think we're in Tokyo anymore." Kagome murmured, as the realization dawned on her.

"I think that was a foregone conclusion, Kagome-san. C'mon. Let's see if we can find someone who can get us home." Touya said, as he started leading the way, getting a silent agreement from both girls as he did so. After an hour of wandering, however, the three befuddled teenagers were still nowhere near an answer to their problem. It was at this time that Kagome spotted what she thought was a familiar landmark.

"The Go Shinboku Tree! We're practically in my own backyard! Come on!" Kagome shouted, as she raced over to the familiar-looking tree.

"Wait!" Touya called, sensing danger, but was unable to warn Kagome and Sakura (who was following Kagome) of it.

"_Damn it!_" Touya thought, as he followed both girls into the clearing, skidding to a halt when he saw that they had stopped and were staring at something.

"What's going on?" Touya asked.

"Look at the tree, Nii-chan." Sakura whispered, as she pointed out what appeared to be a boy hanging lifelessly from the trunk of the tree. Touya was dumbfounded by what he saw; the boy appeared to be about his age, with long silver hair and pale skin. Dog ears stuck up on top of the boy's head, giving him an otherworldly appearance. But the thing that shocked Touya the most was the fact that the boy was held to the tree by an arrow to the chest.

"Touya-sempai…………..is he………..?" Kagome asked, almost afraid of what the answer would be.

"I don't know………….can't tell from here. Wait here. I'm going to go and see. Though it looks from here as though his heart may have been impaled." Touya murmured, as he cautiously made his way to the tree. With ease, he climbed onto the roots that had grown up and around the boy, and firmly placed two fingers to the boy's neck. His eyes widened when he felt a faint pulse beneath his fingertips.

"_Well I'll be_……………_He's tougher than he looks!_" Touya thought, turning when his sister spoke to him.

"Is he all right, Nii-chan?" Sakura asked, afraid for the boy and fearing the worst.

"He's about as 'all right' as he can get, considering there's an arrow in his chest. His heart's still beating, at any rate." Touya replied, as both girls breathed a sigh of relief, then joined him on the roots.

"Whew! I thought for a minute that we may have stumbled onto a crime scene, or somethin'!" Kagome said, sounding as relieved as she looked.

"Same here!" Sakura agreed, getting a rolling of eyes from Touya as a result.

"Yeah, I can almost see the headlines now: three teens found near scene of bizarre murder. Are being held for questioning in the middle of nowhere." Touya muttered, sarcastically. This got identical deadpan expressions from both girls as a response.

"Very funny, Touya-sempai…………" Kagome mumbled, as Sakura grumbled her agreement.

"Get away from there!!" a man's voice shouts, before about five or six arrows impact into the tree around the startled teenagers. As the archers themselves approached them, Kagome and Sakura both gave Touya identical glares.

"You were saying, Nii-chan?" Sakura asked, dryly.

"Shut up." Touya grumbled, as the archers surrounded them.

"Hey! You didn't have to tie us up, you know!" Kagome shouted, as she, Sakura, and Touya were brought into a rustic-looking town.

"What'd we do, anyway?!" Sakura asked, looking every bit as scared as she sounded. Touya said nothing, but he gave very hard glares to any of the men who got too close to his younger sister and Kagome.

"Y'reckon it's war?" an old man whispered, on the far fringe of the crowd of onlookers.

"Of course it is! Right in the middle of rice planting season, too." Another man said, with dismay in his voice.

"Could those three be kitsune in disguise?" a woman asked, as her child stared curiously at the three from the safety of her arms.

"Nah, them shape-changin' foxes are a lot trickier." Another woman stated, matter-of-factly.

"Nii-chan, is it just me, or doesn't this look like the descriptions of the Sengoku Era Tou-san in always writing?" Sakura whispered so only Touya could hear her.

"Now that you mention it, it does look an awful lot like what he's been writing. We may be in way over our heads here." Touya murmured, as shouting came to their ears.

"Make way for Kaede Miko-sama!" a man's voice shouted, as an old woman stepped from the crowd, a bow in hand as she did so.

"_Miko-sama?_" Kagome, Touya, and Sakura wondered, as the old woman stopped in front of them.

"Aku ryo tai san!" the old woman chanted, before throwing some strongly scented herbs on the three.

"Hey! We're not youkai, okay!?" Kagome shouted, a bit angrily.

"Yeah! We're human!" Sakura agreed, scowling at Touya when he muttered a 'Speak for yourself' under his breath.

"Are ye now? Then why were ye found in the Forest of Inu-Yasha?" Kaede asked, her voice laden with suspicion.

"They could be spies from another village." One of the village men suggested, just as suspiciously.

"In that case, they be fools. Who would invade such a poor village as ours?" Kaede retorted, before her single eye took in the appearance of Kagome, and a hint of recognition took up residence there. Kagome and her two companions in turn gave her a confused look.

"Let me have a look at ye." Kaede said, as she firmly grasped Kagome's face in her right hand, and turned her head this way and that, trying to get a better look.

"Look, clever girl, or be you a half-wit?" Kaede asked, getting an indignant look from Kagome and a snicker from Touya in response. Sakura still looked confused. Then Kaede gazed thoughtfully at both girls in particular.

"It's there………….though I know not why." Kaede murmured.

"It is?" Kagome asked, confusedly.

"Hoe?" Sakura added, as they were released from their bonds and allowed to stand.

"_What in the world just went on?_" Touya wondered, as he stood and followed the miko, his sister, and Kagome into one of the huts in the center of the village.

That evening, in Kaede's hut, the three were treated to a well-deserved meal.

"Stew? Wow, it looks great." Kagome said, as she gratefully accepted the steaming bowl from the old miko, and as Sakura and Touya were given their bowls as well.

"Bear us no ill will, children. For tho' I now see that you mean us no harm, in these troubled times of war, no stranger may be welcomed among us without deep distrust." Kaede said, apologetically.

"No harm done." Touya replied, quietly, even though he still wondered why there had been recognition in the old woman's eye earlier. He watched as Kaede's expression turned somber, as though she were remembering something painful. Before he could ask, however, the sound of a nearby stable being destroyed came to their ears.

"What's going on?!" Kaede shouted, as men ran in all directions to try and find out.

"It's a monster!" one man cried, as the ugly 'centipede woman' from before rose above them with a dead horse in its jaws. When it spotted Kagome, it spat the horse out and made a b-line for her.

"Give me the Sacred Jewel!!" the centipede woman yowled, furiously. Kaede then gave Kagome a look of alarm.

"It said 'Sacred Jewel'!! Bear ye it still?!?" Kaede yelped, as Sakura watched her brother grab a fallen bow and arrows and try to take a few shots at it.

"I have no idea! I've heard of the Jewel, but I………….!" Kagome replied, as she watched in stunned amazement as one of Touya's arrows burst into pure, white-hot flames before it landed in the tough hide of the monster.

"You wretch!" the centipede woman screeched, as it knocked Touya to the ground and succeeded in knocking him senseless.

"Nii-chan!!!" Sakura screamed, then did something she'd never done before; she summoned a ball of flame into her hands and threw it at the youkai's face.

"Fire!" Sakura shouted angrily, as it exploded in the centipede woman's face in response to her voice. The youkai let out a pained roar, clawing at its face as it did so.

"_I do not believe this_……………._his magic lives on in her! Could she be_…………..?!" Kaede wondered, as the two girls turned to her with determined looks in their eyes.

"We must lure it to the dry well!" Kagome said, knowing, somehow, that the 'centipede woman' was after her.

"The 'dry well'?!" Kaede asked, not believing what she was hearing. Both girls nodded.

"Which way is the forest? Where that light's shining, right?" Sakura asked, as both she and Kagome started running.

"Wait!" Kaede called, as the two girls tried to lure the monster away.

"Take care of Touya-sempai!" Kagome shouted, in response.

"We'll draw it away, don't worry!" Sakura added, unaware of the disbelieving looks they were both getting from the townsfolk and Kaede.

"How is it that they can see what cannot be seen in the Forest of Inu-Yasha?" Kaede muttered, before looking to another of the villagers who was kneeling next to the downed Touya.

"He still lives, Miko-sama!" the man said, as he carefully moved Touya out of danger.

"Then get him into my hut. Have someone watch over him till I return." Kaede ordered, before she rushed over to the stable, had a man saddle one of the remaining horses, then rode off to try and catch up with the girls; hoping she wasn't too late.

Meanwhile, in the forest, the strange boy from before was beginning to show some signs of life; his ears and right hand twitched, his breathing quickened, and his pulse got stronger. Finally, he opened his eyes and looked down. He then smiled, but the smile did not reach his eyes. His eyes were cold and angry; full of hatred.

"I smell it…………the blood of the woman who killed me! And it's coming closer……." The boy growled, then winced when the arrow glowed, reminding him of the seal placed on him……….and something else.

"_Huh?! This presence_…………_it's familiar somehow! But whose is it?_" the boy wondered, just before two girls fell into the clearing.

"Hello, Kikyo. Playin' with bugs now, are we?" the boy asked, as both girls looked up at him in surprise.

"So, you're alive?" 'Kikyo' asked. The boy just gave her a sneer.

"Why're you takin' so long to kill it? Just do her like you did me." The boy retorted, arching an eyebrow when the other girl spoke to him.

"How could she kill something like that?!" the second girl shouted, her tone and expression almost on the verge of panic.

"Feh. That was a pretty dumb move, Kikyo. Bringin' that incompetent along with ya on the hunt." The boy sneered, getting glares from both girls.

"That does it. 'Kikyo', 'Kikyo', whoever she is, she's not me 'cause my name is…..!" 'Kikyo' shouted, before the boy gave her a warning.

"She's here." The boy quietly warned, before the centipede woman dropped down from the branches above, getting startled yelps from both girls. Then, before the monster could kill the two, spears imbedded themselves into its hide, and the villagers pulled it away from them.

"So we were saved." The second girl murmured a little shakily. The boy snorted.

"You and your follower are pathetic, Kikyo!" the boy taunted, irreverently. This was when 'Kikyo' snapped.

"I'm not Kikyo. Look, I'm telling you, I'm not her. Whoever her is." 'Kikyo' retaliated, angrily.

"An' I'm saying you gotta be her 'cause if you're not there's no way you could smell so…………" the boy stated, before sniffing the air again. He was confused by what his nose told him.

"You're not………her." The boy muttered.

"I know. My name is 'Kagome'. And this is 'Sakura'." The Kikyo lookalike said, impatiently.

"You're right; Kikyo was cuter. Much cuter." The boy mumbled, getting a dirty look from Kagome while he was at it. Before anything else could be said, however, Kagome was grabbed by the centipede woman.

"Kagome-chan!" Sakura yelped.

"Let go of me!" Kagome shouted at the youkai behind her.

"OW! OW! OW! You let go of me!" the boy yowled, unaware that more people from the village were arriving to help, including an old miko.

"Miko-sama! Inu-Yasha has revived!" one villager shouted, as Kaede drew rein beside him.

"_How can that be?! The seal should have held forever! Why?!_" Kaede thought, wildly, as the centipede woman tried to pull Kagome off of Inu-Yasha.

"Fire!" Sakura shouted, unleashing yet another fireball, this time sending it at the monster's underbelly. This time, however, the youkai didn't even react, and swatted her away as though she were a fly.

"Sakura-chan!" Kagome cried, as the other girl was sent flying.

"Give me the Sacred Jewel!" the centipede woman howled. This got Inu-Yasha's attention.

"_Sacred Jewel?!_" Inu-Yasha's mind yelped, in disbelief.

"Stop it!!!" Kagome shouted, as she held out one hand and again repelled the monster. She landed with a hard thud at the base of Inu-Yasha's tree.

"Kagome-chan!" Sakura's voice shouted, as Sakura herself rushed over to see if she was all right.

"Sakura-chan, daijobu?" Kagome asked, concernedly. Sakura nodded.

"I'm fine! The trees caught me!" Sakura said, as she pointed out the trees on the far end of the clearing, those of which were now resuming their usual forms.

"You can control wood too?" Kagome asked, curious despite the circumstances.

"Apparently." Sakura answered, turning when some light caught her eye.

"_Now what's happening??_" Kagome wondered, as she also noticed the light. To her shock, and that of Sakura, it was coming from inside of Kagome. But before either girl could react, the youkai returned and snatched Kagome from beside Sakura with its teeth.

"Kagome-chan!!" Sakura cried, horrified as the monster tore open Kagome's side and a small, pinkish jewel flew out.

"_It came from inside me_…………_is that the Sacred Jewel?_" Kagome silently asked, before she fell to the ground again. The Jewel landed just in front of her.

"Gimme the Jewel, quick!" Inu-Yasha demanded, before both Kagome and Sakura were trapped against the tree with him by the centipede woman's coils. Both girls shuddered when said youkai cackled at them.

"I'd heard that some hanyou spawn was after the Scared Jewel. It's you, isn't it?" the centipede woman asked, with a sneer.

"_Hanyou?_" Sakura wondered.

"_What is he?!?_" Kagome's mind added, as she and Sakura both gave Inu-Yasha some disbelieving looks.

"Half's all I need to kick your scaly hide. Anything more than that'd be a waste of my time." Inu-Yasha replied, smartly.

"Listen, you talk big, but can you back it up?" Kagome asked, getting a somewhat dumbfounded look from Inu-Yasha as a response.

"Well? Can you or not?" Kagome again asked, this time with some impatience in her voice. It was the centipede woman that answered her.

"What can he do, pinned there like that? Or you for that matter? You're all powerless to stop me! You're helpless, the three of you." The centipede woman sneered, as it wrapped its long tongue around the Jewel, then swallowed it whole.

"It swallowed the Jewel!! Kaede-sama, what shall we do??!" the men of the village asked, panic-stricken when they saw the severed arms of the youkai reattach, and when the youkai shed its skin.

"At last! My power is complete!" the centipede woman roared, gleefully, as she tightened her coils around the trapped girls and hanyou.

"_It's crushing me!_" both girls thought, before a male voice calmly spoke to them.

"Hey, can you pull out this arrow?" Inu-Yasha asked, quietly.

"Huh?" Kagome asked, in turn.

"Look, can you pull out the arrow or not?!" Inu-Yasha shouted.

"Nay, children! Once the arrow is removed, Inu-Yasha will be free to destroy us all!" Kaede shouted, in horror.

"Don't be stupid, old hag! At least with me you've got a chance, whereas that thing's gonna eat ya!" Inu-Yasha retorted, then looked down at the girls.

"And what about you two? Are you ready to die yet?" Inu-Yasha asked, seriously. Sakura and Kagome exchanged glances; what choice did they have?

"_I don't know what I should do, but_……_given the choice_……….." Sakura thought, as she and Kagome reached for the arrow.

"I choose to live!" Kagome finished, out loud, as they both grasped the arrow and pulled. There was a brilliant flash, and the arrow was gone. In its stead, on either side of Inu-Yasha's tree, two pairs of folded wings appeared.

"It's gone! My sister's spell vanished!" Kaede cried, in absolute shock.

"And our master's spell is undone." Another, different male voice said, coolly. All eyes, even those of Inu-Yasha, turned to the wings, those of which had just opened to reveal a golden winged lion and a man with long, snowy-white hair and silver/violet eyes.

"Kerberos…………and Yue…………" Inu-Yasha muttered, before he put aside his disbelief and broke free, throwing both girls to the ground. Yet, before they could hit the ground, however, a pair of strong, gentle arms grabbed them both from mid-air and set them back on their feet.

"Are you all right, Kikyo-dono? Miko-sama?" the one Inu-Yasha had called 'Yue' asked, calmly.

"We're fine. But I'm not Kikyo. And Sakura-chan isn't a miko, either." Kagome said, as a look of confusion crossed Yue's features.

"But how could that be? Your presence is exactly like hers'!" Yue said, the confusion in his voice readily heard.

"All will be explained in time, Yue! For now, protect the two girls! Inu-Yasha is loose!" Kaede shouted. For a moment, it looked as though Yue was going to ask more questions, but then 'Kerberos' spoke up.

"The old lady's right, Yue! Inu-Yasha's always been unpredictable! Even Clow-sama couldn't always tell when he would come 'round!" the winged lion cried, as they all watched the hanyou take out the centipede woman with ease.

"_Well, now I know._" Kagome thought, as she stared at the hanyou with wonder in her eyes.

"_He really is strong._" Sakura mused, unwittingly finishing Kagome's thought.

"Young lady……..did you help the other girl pull out the arrow?" Kerberos asked, having finally noticed Sakura standing there. Sakura nodded.

"Hai, I did." Sakura replied, quietly. She was surprised when the two exchanged glances and gave her respectful nods.

"Hoe?" Sakura murmured, bewildered by this.

"Our previous master, Clow Reed, placed us within Kikyo-dono's arrow to help strengthen the seal. If your friend had tried to remove the arrow on her own, her hand would have been repelled. But you both removed the seal, thus proving that your friend is Kikyo-dono's rebirth, and you are mine and Kerberos' new master." Yue explained, as they all watched Kagome relocate the Jewel, and as Kaede removed it from the centipede woman's carcass. Kagome gave Kaede a confused look when the latter returned the Shikon no Tama to her.

"Huh…………? But…….." Kagome tried to say, before the old miko interrupted her.

"Only ye may possess the Jewel." Kaede said, matter-of-factly, as he mind added, "_Ye, who so resemble the dead Kikyo._"

"But how'd it get inside of Kagome-chan's body?" Sakura asked, curiously.

"Yeah. Why would I have a Jewel wanted by youkai?" Kagome added.

"Good question. Humans can't use it, so why bother to keep it?" Inu-Yasha in turn asked, before saying, "If you hand the Jewel over right now, I won't have to start sharpening my claws on you."

"What?" Kagome asked, before Yue and Kerberos got in front of her, Kaede, and Sakura; shielding them with their bodies.

"You'll have to get through us first, Inu-Yasha. Even though Clow-sama's last command was to guard you, we'll protect Sakura-sama and Kagome-dono from you." Yue said, coolly, prepared for a fight.

"Spare me, Yue. I always knew you were a melodramatic fool. Very well then……I'll send ya to Clow Reed's side, first class!" Inu-Yasha snarled, as he charged at the pair.

"_It comes full circle._" Yue thought, as he and Kerberos met Inu-Yasha in a counter-charge. Their first, and last, battle had begun.


	3. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Kagome, Sakura, Kaede, and the village men watched as a violent battle took place right before their eyes. Yue and Kerberos, the thought lost Guardians of Clow Reed, were now fighting a desperate, losing battle against the hanyou. Both Guardians were rapidly weakening; in fact, the first to fall was Yue.

"Yue!" Kerberos yelped, when he saw the angelic warrior collapse.

"My powers……..haven't all returned yet, Kerberos. Take the girls and go…..do not let Inu-Yasha get the Jewel." Yue gasped, as he struggled to get back to his feet.

"Cut the crap, Yue!" Inu-Yasha growled, as he slashed at both Guardians with his claws.

"Hey! If you want the Jewel, then come and get it!" Kagome shouted, as she started running away from the group.

"Kagome-chan!" Sakura yelped, as the other girl made an attempt to save the lives of the Guardians.

"Wood!" Sakura called, as she tried to cage Inu-Yasha with the surrounding trees.

"Don't interfere, wench!" Inu-Yasha snapped, as he clawed his way free and continued his pursuit of the reborn miko.

"Kaede-sama!" one of the village men shouted, when it appeared as though the hanyou was closing in. Kaede sighed somewhat in exasperation.

"Somehow I knew that it would eventually come to this……..Well, you always were a fool……….." Kaede muttered, as she reached into her kimono and brought out a set of prayer beads. Just as she did that, Inu-Yasha rent the ground with his claws, leaving three huge gouges in the forest floor. The force of this attack was enough to knock Kagome down and loosen her grip on the Sacred Jewel. Without further ado, Kaede somehow suspended the beads before her, concentrated, then sent the ensorcelled beads heading directly for the hanyou. Kerberos watched closely as the beads surrounded Inu-Yasha's neck, then returned to their usual form and appearance on him.

"What th' heck are these?!" Inu-Yasha asked, as he gave the beads an unreadable look and tugged on them a little, before returning his attention to Kagome.

"Quickly, child! The word of subjugation!" Kaede shouted.

"What word??" Kagome replied, as she took back the fallen Jewel and got to her feet.

"It doesn't matter! Your word has power over him now, just as Sakura-sama's word has power over Yue and me! One word has power over his spirit!" Kerberos added, catching on to what Kaede had done just seconds before.

"Shaddup Kero! No puny human can overpower me!" Inu-Yasha retorted, as he chased Kagome down a steep embankment. The reborn miko cried out when she felt her footing slip and she fell, once again losing her grip on the Jewel. Like a glowing ball, the Sacred Jewel bounced away from Kagome, only to come to a stop in the center of a wooden bridge. And a few feet away, Inu-Yasha came to a halt.

"A 'word to hold his spirit'……….but how'll I know which one to choose?" Kagome mused, out loud, as she tensely watched Inu-Yasha get closer to the Jewel.

"Kagome-chan, 'inu' means 'dog' right? Try using a dog command on him!" Sakura suggested.

"_Oh, right!_" Kagome thought, then said, out loud, "Sit!" Half a second later, Inu-Yasha was face down on the bridge, brought down by Kagome's word. Yue smiled slightly as Sakura enthusiastically cheered for Kagome, while Kerberos merely chuckled and shook his head.

"Our new master is going to be a handful, isn't she, Yue?" Kerberos asked, flinching when Inu-Yasha was 'sat' again and went through the already weakened boards of the bridge, landing with a huge splash in the river.

"Yes. But no moreso that Clow-sama had been………Come. Everyone else is returning to the village. We must go where Sakura-sama goes." Yue said, quietly, as he shakily got to his feet and walked alongside the young girl.

"_Is it just me, or is Yue takin' this better than I thought he would?_" Kerberos wondered, as he padded alongside his brother, curious beyond words as to how well Yue seemed to be taking Clow's death.

The next morning, repairs were being made to the huts damaged by the centipede woman's attack. Touya awoke to the feeling of a weathered hand against his brow.

"Ye are stronger than ye look, boy. Ye had us all worried last night." Kaede said as Touya groaned and put a hand to his head. He found some bandages and a small, damp patch on the spot where his head had met the ground. He was sore all over, but not as badly hurt as he thought he would be.

"Where's my sister? Where's Sakura?" Touya asked.

"Outside helping with the repairs. It took a lot of convincing to get her to leave your side for awhile. But Yue and Kerberos seem to have a talent for doing that." Kagome replied, getting a bewildered look from Touya for her remark.

"Yue……..? Kerberos…….?" What happened last night after I was knocked out?" Touya asked, confusion and suspicion being the chiefest of expressions on his face.

"Long story, Touya-sempai. We'll try to explain it to you later when you're feeling better. Just try and rest up, okay?" Kagome said, trying to ease Touya's suspicions somewhat.

"I'll keep you to your word, Kagome-san. Just don't keep me waiting too long." Touya muttered, as he reluctantly relaxed back onto the makeshift futon. Within moments, he was asleep again.

"Whew. For a minute there, I thought he was gonna try and get up to go look for Sakura-chan. I didn't realize how protective he is over her." Kagome murmured, as she watched Touya sleep.

"Siblings can be like that sometimes. Especially elder siblings towards younger ones." Kaede said, looking up as Sakura re-entered the hut, with Yue and Kerberos on her heels.

"How's it goin' out there?" Kagome asked, conversationally, as the three sat down around the now extinguished fire pit.

"Repairs are well under way, Kagome-dono. As far as any injuries were concerned, surprisingly few townsfolk suffered any real wounds last night. It's what Sakura-sama called a 'close call'." Yue replied, smoothly.

"Good to hear. How are you two feeling, by the way? Yue-san seemed kinda sick last night." Kagome said, remembering how pale and weak Yue had looked just after the battle.

"A few hours of rest have done much to replenish our powers, Kagome-sama. In fact, the few serious injuries we encountered have already been taken care of. As a matter of fact, I am now strong enough to do this……….." Kerberos said, as he walked over to Touya's sleeping form, touched a paw to his forehead, and murmured, "What darkness has wrought, let light undo it." For a brief moment, Kerberos glowed; then some of his golden light sank into Touya, healing his injuries and causing the bandages around his head to loosen and fall away. Then the winged lion yawned and grinned.

"Well, time for this kitty to take a cat nap. Wake me when it's time to eat 'kay?" Kerberos asked, jokingly, before sauntering out of the hut.

"He's pretty incredible, wouldn't you agree, Kagome-chan?" Sakura asked.

"Hai, he is." Kagome agreed.

"Just don't let him hear you say that. His ego is big enough as it is." Yue muttered, dryly, getting some giggles from Kagome and a deadpan look from Sakura as a response.

"You sound just like my Nii-chan." Sakura mumbled, as a knowing look passed between Kaede and Kagome in response to that.

"Ouch." Kagome said, with a wince, as Kaede put more medicine on the wound the youkai had inflicted.

"Pain, yes, and just the beginning. Now that the sacred 'Shikon no Tama' is back among us, far worse than Mistress Centipede will come to claim it." Kaede said, knowingly.

"Worse than yesterday?" Kagome asked, with some disbelief in her voice. Kaede nodded.

"And not just youkai. Humans are also seeking the Jewel; humans whose hearts are even more corrupt. Only the Jewel has the power to make real their petty ambitions." Yue murmured, then added, "I should know, since I watched my previous master, Clow Reed, spend his last earthly years chasing evil away from Kikyo-dono."

"Whoa……………." Sakura said, softly, still having a bit of difficulty getting all of the information to sink in.

"Speaking of petty, what're you still doing here?" Kagome asked, turning her attention to Inu-Yasha, who up until that moment had been silently sulking on the floor.

"With the beads around his neck, his threat is diminished. It is perhaps the only way we can allow him so close to the Jewel." Kaede said, as she gave the hanyou something akin to a chagrined look.

"Why do you want the Jewel, Inu-Yasha-san? It seems to me as though you're strong enough as it is." Sakura murmured. The hanyou didn't answer her.

"Yeah. What power can the Jewel give you that you don't have already?" Kagome asked, as she gazed thoughtfully at the Jewel.

"Ah, but he's just half youkai." Kaede answered, not even flinching when Inu-Yasha punched a hole in the floor of the hut. Yue deadpanned, while Sakura and Touya (who had been sound asleep until that moment) jumped.

"Y'know what? I'm sick of hearin' some dried up witch I just met talk like she knows me!" Inu-Yasha growled, a little angrily. Kaede merely sighed; she knew this was coming.

"So you don't remember. I thought as much. I'm younger sister to Kikyo, she who bound ye to the tree: Kaede." Kaede said, patiently and a little sadly.

"You're Kaede??" Inu-Yasha asked, with some disbelief in his own voice. Kaede slowly nodded.

"I remember you, Kaede-dono. You're the one that asked Clow-sama if he could heal Kikyo-dono." Yue said, aware of the disbelieving and distrustful looks he was getting from Touya and choosing to ignore them. Again Kaede nodded.

"Fifty years have passed and I have grown old." Kaede said, as Inu-Yasha snorted in derision and relaxed again.

"If you're this old, then Kikyo must be pushin' a hundred. Sure glad I don't have ta worry about bein' old………least not for a while." Inu-Yasha muttered, disrespectfully. It was then that the somber look Touya had noticed the night before returned to Kaede's weathered features.

"Kikyo didn't worry either. Kikyo died." Kaede said soberly, then added, "It was on the same day she shot ye with the arrow……….And Clow Reed followed not too long after." For a brief moment, a look of shock and grief adorned Inu-Yasha's face, then the sneer returned.

"_That bothered him more than he's letting on._" Touya thought, having caught the look before it disappeared completely behind the mask.

"Gee, sorry to hear it. Not that I care or nothin'. It's one less thing for me to worry about." Inu-Yasha said, derisively, as he leaned back casually.

"I wouldn't let my guard down just yet, Inu-Yasha. I now know that Kagome is the reincarnation of my sister." Kaede said, in all seriousness. This got a number of confused looks from the three teens and especially Inu-Yasha. Kaede took this as her cue to continue.

"And it isn't because ye resemble her, Kagome; the Shikon no Tama was in your body. That alone is proof enough. It is up to ye now, child, to take over its protection." Kaede said, calmly.

"But Miko-sama, where does that leave us? You haven't said anything about Sakura or me. How is it that we also ended up here?" Touya asked, somewhat bothered by the omission of himself and his sister.

"Ye and your sister also have a place in this. Last night, when your arrow burst into flame, I knew ye had the ability to become a fellow guardian of the Jewel. You would be of great help to Kagome………..Yet your imoto-chan, Sakura, is stronger still. Within her lies the power of Clow Reed. She isn't his reincarnation, mind you, but she is his successor. That is why ye both need to remain near Kagome. As well as Kerberos and Yue." Kaede said, as she gazed at Yue, as he quietly observed the goings on outside with silent interest.

A few hours later, Kagome, Touya, and Sakura wandered around the town, trying to figure out what to do now.

"So we're the guardians of the Shikon no Tama now, eh? If anybody had told me that we'd be five hundred years in the past, in a time where monsters and half monsters roam free, two weeks ago, I would have laughed them right into the next city. But there's no denying it now." Touya murmured, as he shifted his bow and quiver of arrows into a more comfortable position on his shoulder.

"Same here. I still can't believe that I am who Kaede-san says I am. I mean, just a day ago I was an ordinary girl with the usual challenges in life; homework, exams, etc. I never thought that something like this would happen to me!" Kagome said, in agreement.

"In any case, we've got to find a way home soon. Our families are more than likely worried sick about us!" Sakura stated, with just as much concern in her own voice.

"That goes without saying. Even our father, as easygoing as he is, is going to be upset with us for disappearing on him like that." Touya agreed, then looked up when some shadows passed overhead.

"It looks like Yue and Kerberos are going somewhere. I'm going to go and see what they're up to. See you guys later!" Sakura said, as she took off after the pair.

"Do you think she'll be all right, Touya-sempai?" Kagome asked, as they watched her go.

"She's stronger than she looks, Kagome-san. And, even though I don't trust them very much, those two Guardians will protect her if something comes." Touya said, with more certainty in his voice than he secretly felt.

When Sakura finally caught up with the Guardians, she found they were in front of two shrines. Yue was kneeled in front of one, head bowed and hands clasped in front of his chest, with Kerberos right beside him, leonine head also bowed.

"It appears that, even in death, Clow-sama is protecting Kikyo-sama." Kerberos murmured, as he glanced at the other shrine with a somber look in his amber eyes.

"It looks that way. At least the people of this town honored him with that much……Though I still find it hard to believe that fifty years have passed since that day. It could have been yesterday that Clow-sama was alive and guarding Kikyo-dono." Yue said, his silver/lavender eyes shimmering slightly.

"_Yue-san_……….." Sakura thought, as she quietly approached the pair and gently hugged the moon guardian. Even though he was a little startled by her sudden appearance there, Yue relaxed into the embrace. Against his will, he felt his tears sliding down his face, landing like raindrops on Sakura's school jacket.

"You loved Clow-san very much, didn't you?" Sakura asked. Yue nodded.

"Hai. We did. He was as much a father to us as any mortal could have possibly been. He was gentle and wise, and taught us many valuable lessons in the years he walked this earth. But there was one lesson he couldn't teach us……and that was how to move on after he died." Kerberos said, his own voice choked with emotion as he remembered his and Yue's former master.

"There were times when Kerberos and I sensed that something wasn't right with him; and even though he denied it, his actions spoke louder than words. We didn't know it was his heart giving him problems until the day he used the last of his power to get to Kikyo-dono's side and seal us along with Inu-Yasha." Yue added, as he gently hugged the girl back, then released her.

"But why did Clow-san do that?" Sakura asked, curiously.

"To reinforce Kikyo-sama's seal, and to shield Inu-Yasha from youkai while he slept. I think he knew that Inu-Yasha wouldn't remain sealed forever. That his successor and Kikyo-dono's reincarnation would come and release the seal." Yue mused, looking away when a crash sounded in the distance.

"Kagome-chan must've 'sat' him again." Sakura said, with a giggle. Kerberos snickered, while Yue's expression deadpanned.

"I think it is safe to assume that much, at least." Yue muttered, then stood.

"Are you okay now, Yue-san?" Sakura asked, concerned about the angelic Guardian.

"I will be all right, Sakura-sama. You needn't worry about me." Yue said, calmly, as he wiped any remaining tears away with his tunic sleeve.

"I can't help but worry. After all, I want to be yours' and Kero-chan's friend, not your master." Sakura said, smiling kindly at the two from where she stood in front of Clow's shrine.

"You're a very kind person, Sakura-sama……..but did you have to call me 'Kero-chan'? It makes me sound like a frog!" Kerberos mumbled, giving Yue an irritated glance when he smirked at him.

"I think it suits you very well, Kerberos." Yue said, getting a patented death glare from Kerberos as a response.

"_Oh boy_………._what have I started this time?!_" Sakura wondered, as the two Guardians started bickering like the brothers they were.


End file.
